


a sadness i can't erase

by worth_the_risk



Series: could still be what you want to. [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Aftermath, M/M, Songfic, The Overdose, Worried Kent is Worried, mentions of abuse, overdose mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-22
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2018-08-23 21:21:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8343253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/worth_the_risk/pseuds/worth_the_risk
Summary: He ran his hand through his hair, knotting his fingers at the crown and tugging hard. “Hello, you’ve–” He hung up, dialed again. Eight rings later, the message started again. He hung up and threw his phone at his pillow.“Fuck.”





	

The first time he’d called, he’d let the entire voicemail greeting play. And the second time. And the third and fourth. Then it occurred to him that this would technically be the last thing he heard him say now, rather than the quiet “love you, too, Kenny,” he’d whispered when Kent left their room that morning to go work out, and he hung up before he could hear it again.

He ran his hand through his hair, knotting his fingers at the crown and tugging hard. “Hello, you’ve–” He hung up, dialed again. Eight rings later, the message started again. He hung up and threw his phone at his pillow.

“Fuck.”

Pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes, he took a shaky breath and concentrated very hard on seeing only the colors caused by the pressure of his hands. Not seeing the stark white tile of the hotel bathroom floor. Not seeing the person who he’d found unconscious on the bathroom floor. Definitely not thinking that person’s name in a desperate, staccato rhythm.

Kent had seen and dealt with some uniquely painful shit in his life. As far as his own body was concerned, he’d scarred part of his fingerprints from his right index finger and thumb learning how to put out matches between them. He’d broken all four fingers on his left hand at some point or another, and his right pinky toe had been witnessed at some interesting angles. Tattoos were creeping their way from his shoulders to his wrists at an exponentially increasing rate. He had a burn mark under his left shoulder blade from the time he and Otto had wanted to see if a car lighter would effectively brand someone.

He’d been the one to help patch up his mom’s face after his father had gone aboard her; Kat was too young to hold a compact and he was more practiced with concealing bruises anyhow. He’d found his father after the heroin overdose that hospitalized and then killed him. He’d held his mother and sister as they cried at the funeral while he tried his damnedest to keep his relief secret.

He’d gone with Jack to countless appointments, made sure he took his medication, cradled him in his lap and rocked him through attack after attack. Had tried to listen, tried to balance his love and want for this broken boy with his need and drive to be drafted, to make a better name for himself than the one his father had left him, to ensure that his mother and sister would never want for anything again.

He’d failed. He dropped the ball in a big fucking way, and now there was no escaping the image or the guilt of Jack. On the floor. Not breathing.

He fell back on the bed, hand searching blindly, and picked the cell up again. He opened his contacts and scrolled from ‘J’ down to ‘M.’ He kicked his heel against the bed frame while the tone sounded in his ear.

“Hi, this is Alicia. Please leave a message after the tone.” Kent hurriedly hung up before her voicemail could catch his choked, frustrated gasp.

He texted her instead.

_Kent: Hey Ma, let J know I'm here if he needs me. Love you guys._

_Kent: I’m so sorry._

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by the song 'god of wine' by third eye blind.
> 
> i know, me, the no-pimms queen of the world, POSTING PIMMS. i may not like kent's behavior much and he might remind me of a really not-so-nice person in my past but the kid's got feelings, too, man.  
> come say hi over on tumblr - i'm the darkirishsilence.


End file.
